One of the many unique and effective pieces of equipment that you will find at your Mayweather Boxing + Fitness studio is the Jungle Gym Suspension Training. Suspension training is a highly effective piece of equipment that brings variety to any workout. A boxer’s strength, agility and plyometrics abilities must be very high in order to be successful against their opponent in the ring. Suspension devices such as the Jungle Gym allows the everyday athlete to build their fitness levels and get into true fighting shape.
There are several aspects of the Jungle Gym Suspension Training that make it such an effective tool for boxers. For one, the versatility allows athletes of all levels to modify the piece of equipment and get the perfect workout for their fitness ability. Simply adjusting your arm or foot placement can make one exercise extremely more challenging or more modified, depending on what kind of workout you are looking for. For example, for bicep curls where you are facing the suspension ropes, walking your feet closer in towards the base of the Jungle Gym makes your upper body work more against gravity and provides an increased challenge to the already effective exercise.
Boxing, in nature, is a high-impact sport. It is unparalleled in getting athletes into great cardio conditioning, but it can take a toll on your body. Using the Jungle Gym Suspension Training allows you to keep your heart rate elevated during a Mayweather Boxing + Fitness class and continue to push yourself, while giving your body a rest from high impact. The way suspension training utilizes your body weight and gravity allows you to receive the same benefits as other plyometric and strength exercises without wearing down your joints and ligaments. The low impact nature of the piece of equipment also emphasizes the use of balance and core strength in each exercise, which are vital aspects of any boxer.
While the variety is huge when it comes to using a Jungle Gym Suspension Training system, there are a few go-to exercises that guarantee a good strength and cardio workout. For an upper body burn, Push Ups and Skull Crusher supersets are highly effective on the suspension ropes. Facing away from the base of the Jungle Gym, find a foot position that offers your the perfect level of resistance and perform push ups while holding onto the handles. Stepping your feet closer or further apart can give you a constant variation of difficulty and will keep your muscles guessing and adapting to the workload. Combine the Push Ups with Skull Crushers, which you begin in the same starting position. With your arms straight out in front of you in a 45 degree angle towards the ceiling, bend your elbows and bring the back of your hands straight into your forehead, before pressing back out to the straight armed position. The combination of both of these upper body exercises will effectively target your biceps, triceps, shoulders – and of course, core – for a safe yet effective burn.
If you’re looking to work your lower body, the Jungle Gym Suspension Training can do that, as well. You can use the suspension ropes to isolate your legs one at a time. Facing away from the base, lengthen the ropes so the handles are about a foot off the ground. Keeping one leg planted on the ground, place your other foot in the handle, with the top of your foot towards the ground. Perform single leg squats, making sure your knee does not cross the plane over your toes, keeping a 90 degree angle in your knee. Hanging your leg in the suspension device demands increased leg strength to stabilize your body and effectively engages your core to remain steady and balanced for each lunge. After three sets of these on each leg, you’ll most definitely be feeling your quads and glutes in the morning!
